Concentrated aqueous soap solution of low viscosity



Patented Apr. 20, 1954 Fred Fortess, Summit, and Seth 'T. BowenfUliion,Celanese ,Corporation of iL, -assignors to America, New Jerk, N."Y.,

Delaware ;a corporation .or

Nd-"Drawing. Application 'Septembe-r 28, 11950, *Seiidl No. 181;?48

r ins-inventionrelates=to soap compositions -and relates =moreparticularly *soap compositions that will formhighly o'one'entratedaqueous solutions havingia lowwiscosity and to the highly concentratedaqueous solutions formed from said soap -compositions.

Concentrated 'aqueousrsoap'soluti'ons are useful as stock sohitionsior"the "'compounding'of baths containing a small proportion of soap, suchas,'*for exampleiscourin'g b'aths'employedin the finishing of certaintypes of "textilefabrics, as well as for many other applications.However, when the quantity of soap in the concentrated aqueous solutionsis raised to above about by weight, the solutions become extremelyviscous and stringy particularly at room temperatures or lower.Frequently, the viscosity of these solutions rise to 5000 or morecentipoises. As a result, the handling of these concentrated aqueoussoap solutions entails many difiiculties which markedly reduce theirusefulness.

It is an important object of this invention to provide novel soapcompositions which will be free from the foregoing and otherdisadvantages andwhich will form highly concentrated aqueous solutionshaving a low viscosity.

A further object of this invention is to provide soap compositionscontaining a soap, a mineral oil and an emulsifying agent which willform highly concentrated aqueous solutions having a low viscosity.

Another object of this invention is to provide soap compositionscontaining a soap and an alkyl oleate which will form highlyconcentrated aqueous solutions having a low viscosity.

Other objects of this invention will be apparent from the followingdetailed description and claims.

We have discovered that the viscosity of concentrated aqueous soapsolutions, containing more than about 15% by weight of soap, may bereduced to a minimum by the incorporation in said solutions of certainsubstances or mixtures of substances which function as viscositydepressants. Thus, in accordance with this invention, there is prepareda concentrated aqueous soap solution containing more than about 15% byweight, and preferably between about 15 and by weight, of soap, amineral oil, preferably in amounts ranging from about 2 to 10% by weightbased on the weight of the soap, and an emulsifying agent, preferably inamounts ranging from about 2 to 10% by weight based on the weight of thesoap. When the soap employed 2 Claims. (013252- 132) and show a tendencyto gel,

is an oleate such assodium. or, potassium .bleate, a similar reductioninviscosity mayibe obtained by adding .to theconcentratedaqueoussoap-solu'tion an alkyl oleate, wherein the alkylgroup containsfrom3to'10 carbon atoms,prferably' in an amount ranging from about 2to10 "by w'eighthased'omthe"weightof Isoa'p. "The concentratedaqueoussoap solutions preparedinthis manner exhibit-a viscosity of below 2'1000 centipoises and frequently 'exhibita viscosity of "be low ore'venbiow 50centipoises sothatthey may behandled without difliculty.

Suitable emulsifying agents that may be employed" in preparing theconcentrated aqueous soap solutions include, for example, thepolyethylene glycol esters of fatty acids such as lauric, oleic orstearic acids, sulfonated long chain petroleum hydrocarbons, sodium saltof mahogany acid, alkyl aryl sulfonates, sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitanmonopalmitate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan tristearate, sorbitanmonooleate, diethylene glycol monolaurate, polyoxyethylene ethers,alkylated aryl poly-ether alcohols, sulfated fatty acid esters, andTurkey red oil. Although any mineral oil may be employed for preparingthe concentrated aqueous soap solutions, it is preferred to employ forthis purpose mineral oils having a viscosity of between about 40 and 100Saybolt Universal units at 100 F.

The following examples are given to illustrate this invention further:

Example it To an; aqueous soap solution containing 20% by weight ofsodium oleate and having a viscosity of 6240 centipoises at roomtemperature, there is added 5%; by Weight, based on the weight of thesoap, of a mineral oil having a viscosity of 50 Saybolt Universal unitsat 100 F. and 5% by weight, based on the weight of the soap, of apolyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid. After stirring for 10 minutesat C., the solution is cooled to room temperature. The solution formedexhibits a viscosity of only 46 centipoises.

Example II To an aqueous soap solution containing 20% by weight ofsodium oleate and having a viscosity of 6240 centipoises at roomtemperature, there is added 7.0% by weight, based on the weight of thesoap, of a mineral oil having a viscosity of 50 Saybolt Universal unitsat 100 F. and 3.0% by weight, based on the weight of the soap, of thesodium salt of sulfonated petroleum hydrocarbon, After stirring for 10minutes at 110 C.,

3 the solution is cooled to room temperature. The solution formedexhibits a viscosity of only 18 centipoises.

Example III weight of the soap, of an alkyl oleate wherein the alkylgroup contains from 3 to 10 carbon atoms.

2. A concentrated aqueous soap solution of low viscosity, comprising anaqueous solution of from about 15 to 25% by weight of an alkali metaloleate, selected from the-group consisting of sodium and potassium'oleates, and from about 2 to 10% by weight, based on the weight of thesoap, of an alkyl oleate wherein the allqrl The solution prepared withn-octyl oleate in place of nbutyl oleate exhibits a viscosity of 38centipoises.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is givenmerely by way of illustration and that many variations may be madetherein without departing from the'spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. A soap composition comprising a concentrated aqueous solutioncontaining from about 15 to 25% by weight of a soap selected from thegroup consisting of sodium and potassium'soa'ps and, as a viscosityreducing agent therefor','between about 2 to 10% by weight, based on thegroup contains from 3 to 10 carbon atoms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,449,240 Murphy Mar. 20, 1923 2,058,781 Ellis Oct. 27, 19362,989,305 Stickdorn Aug. 10. 1937 I v FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 18,632 Great Britain 1891 205,599 Great Britain Oct. 25, 1923298,823 Great Britain Oct. 28, 1923 OTHER REFERENCES Modern Soap andDetergent Industry, Martin.

Modern Polishes and Specialties, John N. Y."

' (1947), page 299.

1. A SOAP COMPOSITION COMPRISING A CONCENTRATED AQUEOUS SOLUTIONCONTAINING FROM ABOUT 15 TO 25% BY WEIGHT OF A SOAP SELECTED FROM THEGROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM SOAPS AND, AS A VISCOSITYREDUCING AGENT THEREFOR, BETWEEN ABOUT 2 TO 10% BY WEIGHT, BASED ON THEWEIGHT OF THE SOAP, OF AN ALKYL OLEATE WHEREIN THE ALKYL GROUP CONTAINSFROM 3 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS.